KKC Theory Wiki

Krin, the Girl Kvothe Rescues at Levenshir, May Be Denna's Sister

fringe connection · popularity 64 · 1 source thread

Krin from Levenshir resembles Denna so closely that she may be Denna's unrevealed younger sister.

About: Denna

Also involves: Kvothe, Krin, Levenshir

The theory§

In The Wise Man's Fear, when Kvothe rescues two girls held by the false troupers near Levenshir, he describes one of them, Krin, as a near dead-ringer for Denna, only younger and with shorter hair, repeating the resemblance enough times to make it conspicuous. This theory takes that repetition as a planted clue that Krin is Denna's unrevealed younger sister, which would give the rescue hidden weight and add a layer to Kvothe and Denna's story. It rests on the supposition that Denna's deliberately obscured backstory could trace to a small, faraway town like Levenshir, whose inhabitants speak with a marked accent of the kind Denna would have had to shed. Krin's wit is also held to echo Denna's. The chief objection is that Denna at one point calls herself a 'city girl,' which argues against small-town origins; cousin, shared-father, and purely thematic (Krin as the 'Denna character' at that stage of the tale) alternatives are offered. The link is speculative, resting almost entirely on physical resemblance.

Evidence§

  • One of these girls, Krin, is basically a dead ringer for Denna, but younger and with shorter hair. Kote repeats this description enough times that, at least to me, it's quite possible Krin actually *is* Denna's sister, and it just hasn't been revealed yet.
    OP's core claim: the repeated physical resemblance reads as a planted clue. — u/bluesy22
  • Denna is from a small and faraway town (could be Levenshir...we don't know Denna's homeland).
    Assumption that Denna's obscured origins could trace to Levenshir. — u/bluesy22
  • someone intervened and helped her to learn courtly manners and get rid of her accent (could be Levenshir...judging from the vernacular in the book, and the audiobook performance, they speak with a noticeable accent).
    Levenshir's marked accent fits one Denna would have had to shed. — u/bluesy22
  • Krin's wit reminds me of Denna as well.
    Comment adds that personality, not just looks, echoes Denna. — u/PA55w0rdSkept1c
  • It’s one that would simply make sense, and add an extra layer of meaning to Kvothe saving her and the other girl.
    Supports theory for the narrative weight it gives the rescue. — u/WoodpeckerSignal9947
  • I think Denna refers to herself as a "city girl" at one point, so that would be an argument against being from a small town. Maybe Krin is a cousin.
    CounterChief counter: Denna's self-description undercuts small-town origins; offers cousin alternative. — u/elihu
  • I think the safest bet for this theory (not that I believe it) is that her father is just out hoe-ing around having children with random women.
    CounterCounter-refinement: a shared father, not full sister, would explain resemblance. — u/ImJustAVG
  • I don't think they are necessarily related biologically, but I think that krin could represent the Denna "Character" in that stage of the story.
    CounterCounter: resemblance is thematic patterning, not literal kinship. — u/dankturtle

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier verified: fringe is correct, rests almost entirely on physical resemblance

Contributors§

Source threads§